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WASHINGTON — Faced with substantial industry opposition, federal regulators are struggling to implement a sweeping aviation-safety law enacted after the last fatal U.S. airline crash nearly four years ago, according to a government watchdog.

The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing lengthy delays in putting in place rules to increase the amount of experience necessary to be an airline pilot, provide more realistic pilot training and create a program where experienced captains mentor less-experienced first officers. That’s according to a report by the Department of Transportation’s inspector general. The report was obtained by the Associated Press.

The FAA also is running into problems creating a centralized electronic database that airlines can check before hiring pilots, the report said. The database is supposed to include pilots’ performance on past tests of flying skills.

In each case, the agency has run into significant opposition from the airline industry.

“To effectively implement these initiatives in a timely manner, (the) FAA must balance industry concerns with a sustained commitment to oversight,” the report said.

Congress passed the law a year and a half after the Feb. 12, 2009, crash of a regional airliner near Buffalo, N.Y., that killed all 49 people aboard and a man on the ground.A National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the crash highlighted problems involving pilots: weaknesses in training, tiring work schedules, lengthy commutes and relatively low experience levels at some regional carriers.

The accident was because of an incorrect response by the flight’s captain to two key safety systems, causing an aerodynamic stall that sent the plane plummeting into a house below, the NTSB investigation concluded.

The FAA substantially revised its rules governing work schedules to better ensure that pilots are rested when they fly. It was the first modification of the rules since 1985 and “a significant achievement” for the FAA, the report said.